THE RIDER is a story about overcoming trauma, much like JOURNEYMAN, but it pack the added punch of the real. What is a rider who can’t ride? “My mom and dad taught me everything I know, but I learned a lot on back looking down them ears”. It’s easy to forget how connected the brain is to everything physical we do, the body bucks like an unbroken horse when the wrong signals are sent. Brady (Brady Jandreau) gets aftershocks of his life-changing rodeo injury, most prominently his riding hand locking up at inopportune moments, but we also get the constant reminder that everything could have gone so much worse by the presence of Lane Scott. It is these scenes shared by Brady and Lane, two real-life friends with differing levels of brain injury that shake you on a profound level. The hefty emotions, writer-director Chloé Zhao’sno-nonsense storytelling and understated beauty makes this a film that completely floors you. SSP

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About Sam Sewell-Peterson

I'm not paid to write about film - I do it because I love it. Favourites include Bong Joon-ho, Danny Boyle, the Coen Brothers, Nicolas Winding Refn, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Taika Waititi and Edgar Wright. All reviews and articles are original works owned by me. They represent one man's opinion, and I'm more than happy to engage in civilised debate if you disagree.

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About SSP

I'm not paid to write about film - I do it because I love it. Favourites include Bong Joon-ho, Danny Boyle, the Coen Brothers, Nicolas Winding Refn, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Taika Waititi and Edgar Wright. All reviews and articles are original works owned by me. They represent one man's opinion, and I'm more than happy to engage in civilised debate if you disagree.